The Abia State Government has announced plans to unveil a 25-year Greater Aba Master Plan an ambitious, long-term blueprint aimed at transforming the commercial hub of the state.
The Commissioner for Information, Mr Okey Kanu, made this known on Monday during a press briefing at the Government House, Umuahia, following the State Executive Council (EXCO) meeting.
Kanu revealed that the initiative is the result of a collaborative effort between the Greater Aba Development Authority and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).
According to him, the master plan is anchored on four major pillars: road infrastructure and connectivity, economic development, sustainable urban expansion, and flood management.
“The State Government, through a collaborative effort between the Greater Aba Development Authority and UN-Habitat, has been working assiduously for a while now to deliver on this master plan.
“The master plan which, in the main, will address the land use infrastructure and communication goals of the authority and the master plan is designed to rest on four pillars.
“The first pillar is road infrastructure, which includes transportation, development and connectivity within Aba.
“The second pillar will deal with economic development of Aba and it will deal with industrial zones, upgrades and formalisation of commercial hubs within the city.
“The third pillar will deal with sustainable development and planned urban expansion of Aba, while the fourth pillar will deal with terrestrial resilience and flood management which, of course, have been a perennial problem of that city,” he said.
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Healthcare, Education, and Infrastructure Updates
On healthcare, Kanu announced the commissioning of three additional Primary Health Centres (PHCs) under the Project Ekwueme Scheme, bringing the total number of completed PHCs to 17. He added that a fourth PHC would be inaugurated on 20 June in Ngu, Bende Local Government Area.
He confirmed that the new centres were fully equipped with modern medical tools and staffed with qualified personnel to enhance healthcare access across the state.
Kanu noted that the state’s health insurance scheme had reached 91,227 enrollees a figure he described as “encouraging.” He also disclosed that the Ministry of Health had received approval to expand the scheme to the informal sector in the coming weeks.
In addition, a new Intensive Care Unit is now operational at the Abia State Specialist and Diagnostic Hospital, “significantly enhancing emergency medical response and specialised surgeries,” he stated.
Education and Infrastructure Projects
Kanu also spoke on the administration’s ongoing infrastructural upgrades, noting that hostel renovations at Abia State University, Uturu, were nearing completion. The university, he added, would soon commence recruitment for key academic positions, following EXCO approval.
Meanwhile, internal road construction, library upgrades, and auditorium retrofitting were ongoing at the Abia State College of Education (Technical), Arochukwu (ASCETA). These, he said, form part of the state government’s drive to support course accreditation and raise educational standards in tertiary institutions.
Security Measures
Addressing recent security developments, Kanu admitted that there had been breaches but reassured the public that the government was prepared to respond effectively.
He stated that security agencies were on high alert to maintain peace and stability throughout the state.
